audeamus
by Callista Miralni
Summary: dare to begin something impossible. SasuSaku. written for the fairytale challenge at sasusakuprompts on LJ.
1. the beauty and the beast

audeamus

Callista Miralni

disclaimer: nothing. Except maybe plot.

Written for the fairytale challenge posted on the sasusakuprompts LJ community. It's raining, the muse is waking andandand...

I _need_ to write. Not pack up the pieces of my life.

* * *

One_.

Oh she was beautiful but so forbidden, that seductress with a big neon sign over her head proclaiming _look, don't touch_ and he couldn't stop himself from watching her out of the corner of his eye.

"Hi," he heard some other being say. "I'm Sasuke."

The siren giggled. "I'm Sakura."

And then, _she touched him_.

Oh.

Oh.

OH.

_I'm so fucked~!_

_...  
_

_...  
_

_...  
_

_...  
_

_...  
_

_...  
_

_your lips caress her skin_

_one more time before you_

_turn around and mouth_

"_i love you" to my_

_unsuspecting heart._

_I will not fall—_

_your charm will not_

_work on me no_

_matter how my_

_heart swoons._

...

...

...

...

...

...

She heard of him, of course, but no amount of trigger warnings could put her off from drowning entirely in him, this wolf in sheep's clothing with his prettyprettypretty smiles and tantalizing eyes pullingpullingpulling her closer.

"Are you..?"

The rest of the question hung in the air. It didn't need to be said, it _always went unsaid_.

"No," she smiled. "But I want to."

_and I want it to be you_

...

...

...

...

...

...

_your lips trace "audeamus" _

_on my hand. I pull back_

_before my body answers_

_your challenge. I just know _

_my hands will betray me. _

_the mountain fortress_

_must hold against the traitor's_

_enemy brigade._

...

...

...

...

...

...

He had a deadline approaching closerclosercloser and every time some two-cent slut latched onto his arm, he would momentarily forget about his obligations, about the ticking clock on his freedom, and indulge in the thrill of the chase.

They were all beautiful, all from well-to-do families, all perfect trophy wives to put on display.

Eventually, he would have to choose.

He put on his best smile.

"Another drink?"

...

...

...

...

...

...

_you're no sheepdog among_

_the flock, baying your cursed_

_enchantment to reel me in._

_audeamus! audeamus!_

_this waltz is our last._

_when the last petal falls,_

_this love story—or what you call it—_

_will come to an end._

...

...

...

...

...

...

She laughed before slipping off the barstool and walking away.

"No thanks." Her eyes twinkled at him through the darkness. "I'm not your type."

_Not yours, not his, not anybody's type._

A hand on her wrist stopped her from going any farther. She turned around just in time to see that crooked—no, _confident—_smile slip into place.

"I'll be the judge of that."

She gave him an equally mischievous grin.

"You'll see."

...

...

...

...

...

...

the._beauty_|and|the.**beast**

Konoha State University was not, by anyone's definition, a fairytale wonderland where alcohol bathed the streets and easy women loitered on the grounds.

They existed, but one had to search through the crowd to find the rich Panhellenic kids with access to their father's fortunes and the pretenders trying so desperately hard to pass themselves off as one of them.

Uchiha Sasuke could have been _one of them_ but he decided against it. Even in this country bumpkin Japanese school far away from his native California where his status as an American international student won him instant acclaim, Sasuke could not bring himself to make the pledge.

Besides, he had more important things to do. Partying was limited to the weekends and summertime back home in the United States, not during the week when there was work to be done.

The Mentorship Program Kick-off picnic was unfortunately just another job to be done. Sasuke wasn't sure how he ended up assisting Aburame Shino with the preparations for the event but he didn't really mind. It looked good on his resume and that was all that mattered.

There were a lot of familiar faces in the mentorship program, so many that Sasuke could have sworn his friends decided to slyly create their own little club out of the numerous people they all knew. Sasuke could name every single person grabbing a hamburger in line except for twenty people—ten freshmen, three graduate students, four people he partied with but never got their names, and three strangers hanging around Yamanaka Ino.

Yamanaka Ino knew everyone on campus, first through her job as a front desk clerk for one of the residence halls and now as a community coordinator for graduate students. The three strangers acted like old friends of hers, especially the shortest one with the striking green eyes and highlighted gold and pink hair.

His stomach clenched. He knew her, or at least, he knew her name. Their brief conversation at Kirisagi Tenten's birthday party last year lay at the forefront of his mind, the challenge she issued still weighing heavily on his thoughts.

He gave her a burger, failing to catch her gaze for longer than a second before she turned to the taller girl next to her and continued her conversation as if there was never a moment of silence. She laughed at something her friend said before obediently following the boy they were with to an empty section of picnic benches to eat.

Taking a seat at the other picnic table just so that she was in his line of sight, Sasuke mechanically spoke to the people around him and ate. She ignored his stare quite well for someone listening attentively to the head of the mentorship program pacing between them. Either that, or she knew exactly how the turn the rules of the game to her advantage.

She hardly interacted with the people around them, greeting a select number, introducing herself to a few of the freshman, and chatting all the while with her friends.

He would not lose. When she was left with only her two companions, he slid up to them and introduced himself, just like everyone else had.

"Hi. I'm Sasuke. What's your name?"

She gave him a charming smile. "Sakura. This is Temari and Sai."

Temari acknowledged him with a short bow of her head before turning her attention back to Sai.

He stared at her.

"What?"

"Nothing," he replied automatically. "You have the most unusual eyes."

The charming smile slid off her face before a guarded wall built itself in between them. "So I've been told," she answered softly. "I got them from my mother."

"Your hair, too, I suppose."

"That as well."

Temari's cell phone rang and she pulled on Sakura's shirtsleeve to grab her attention. "We've got to go. Gaara got the study room."

She turned back to him, a more cautious version of her charming smile gracing her lips. "It was nice meeting you."

"You too. See you around."

The challenge he remembered from _solongago_ sparkled momentarily in her unusual green eyes.

"Maybe."

* * *

Author's note:

I can hear it, the exasperated sounds of Jayde checking her email only to find _yet another_ story for me to take _forever and a day_ to finish.

Well, girl, I actually have to finish this by the end of the year for it to be eligible for the fairytale challenge so HA!

Confused? Good. I'm practicing for _Cold_. TROLOLOLOLOLOL

Ja ne!  
Callista Miralni


	2. the tallest tower

audeamus

Callista Miralni

disclaimer: nothing. Except for the plot. And the poem as well.

Beginnings are the hardest for me to write. Maybe that's because I don't outline my ideas either. :/

* * *

Two_.

"Half a week before the winter," Vanessa Carlton sang in her ears. "The chill bites before it comes. I'm a child of the pleasure that he brings before he runs. He sits behind a desk of mahogany. He whispers dreams into my ears. And though I've given him his empire, he delivers me my fears..."

A pale hand picked up her iPod touch and double-clicked the home button. "Vanessa Carlton, again?" Sai mused with a ghost of smile. "Really, Sakura, you've been favoring her lately."

She snatched her iPod back. "What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing. I just have to wonder..."

She rolled her eyes before pressing pause and pulling her headphones out of her ears. "Well, wonder all you want, Sai. You're reading too much into it."

"Chai latte with soy!"

The man quirked up a dark brow as she slid off the barstool to pick up her drink from the counter. "You're just now getting your drink?"

"Yeah," Sakura grumbled. "I've been waiting for twenty minutes at least and had enough time to finish one problem on my physics homework."

"You take forever to do a single problem on your physics homework."

"_Exactly._" Sakura grinned.

She confidently walked past the man sneaking glances at her for the last fifteen minutes from the bar counter. Ducking her head down, she busied herself with placing a cardboard sleeve around her cup, ignoring the heat he emitted.

Carabou Coffee was her favorite coffee shop on campus and she wasn't about to let some overconfident pretty boy deter her from visiting. Every time they were there together, he couldn't take his gaze off her for longer than five seconds despite his pathetic attempts to appear wholly engrossed in himself.

One time, she swore he started chatting up some random girl in an effort to make himself look cool and unaffected by her lack of attention to him.

For the most part, it was very easy to ignore Uchiha Sasuke. Especially when Sakura had plenty of friends to distract her attention with.

She settled herself back into her barstool next to Sai, laughing at something her best friend said before glancing back at the drink counter and flashing a mischievous smile at Sasuke for _justamoment_ before diving into conversation.

...

...

...

...

...

...

_you think you're so innocent_

_with those doe eyes but I know_

_a monster lurks beneath_

_them. how many times_

_will you push me away_

_before you absorb me_

_into your garden_

_of conquests?_

...

...

...

...

...

...

She was good—he'll give her that.

Sasuke could not believe a single woman managed to both outsmart him in a game he mastered before he was ten and resist the infamous Uchiha charm.

"Whatcha thinking about, Sasuke-kun?" Ino sat down across the table from him in the library. "You look lost in thought."

His eyes slid to the blond and smirked. She flinched slightly, scooting backwards in her chair to create distance.

"Nothing, Ino. Just thinking about a girl."

Ino rolled her eyes. "You and the rest of the guys are always thinking about girls. What's new?"

"She's different."

Eyeing him skeptically, Ino pulled her laptop out of her backpack and opened up facebook. "Sure. Whatever you say."

He continued working on his homework, tuning out Ino's coos of appreciation over recent facebook posts.

"Oh my God, this girl needs to get out more."

Hyuuga Hinata leaned over and glanced at the screen. "Isn't that your friend, Haruno-san?"

"Yeah... I didn't know she was helping Sai-kun with his art portfolio. But I guess that makes sense..."

"Why is that?"

Ino rearranged herself primly in her chair. "Sakura-chan is my best friend but she and Sai-kun have known each other since high school. They're really close."

A few more taps on the keyboard, a couple gasps of appreciation, and Sasuke couldn't take it anymore.

"What are you looking at?"

"Oh, Sasuke-kun. Look at these amazing photos Sai-kun took of Sakura-chan!"

He glanced at the screen and almost spit out his coffee in surprise.

"Neat, huh?" Ino rambled on. "Sai-kun told me the prompt for his project was 'the divine' but I didn't expect him to ask Sakura-chan to model for him. She looks fantastic in his image of Athena."

"What's his major?" He absently asked as he hit NEXT.

"Graphic design and photography. I wonder who did her make-up? Sakura-chan barely knows how to put on eyeshadow as it is."

Sasuke continued to go through the entire album, the image of that seductress in her gold-beaded, blue dress haunting him the entire day.

_How many secrets do you have?_

...

...

...

...

...

...

_I see it in your eyes_

_when I whisper "audeamus."_

_your will makes my heart_

_slow. soon, we'll be alike—_

_brittle lips chanting the same_

_stanza, too scared_

_to say what comes next._

...

...

...

...

...

...

Ino sank down further into the plush couch. "I'm so glad to be here with you, Sakura-chan, and not out partying with the mentorship kids again."

Sakura put down the mirror she was using to check her contacts and frowned. "I thought you loved spending time with them, Ino-pig."

Her best friend didn't have the energy to glare at her for the nickname. "I do, it's just... they're too much sometimes. Like Sasuke-kun."

"What about Uchiha-san?"

She tried not to act like she was especially interested in the Uchiha boy but Sakura knew she wanted to know everything about him.

Ino sat up and faced her properly. "Give me that bottle of vodka and I'll tell you everything."

Uchiha Sasuke was no stranger to Japanese education, having spent most of his high school years at some international school in Tokyo before accepting a tuition waiver scholarship at Konoha State University. He had an older brother who also studied in Japan except Uchiha Itachi graduated at Tokyo U.

Ino's problem did not lie with Sasuke's education background or his reasons for studying in Japan when he would have been perfectly fine with an American education. No, Ino's problem stemmed from Sasuke's attitude.

"He thinks he's the king of the universe, or something like it. I have never met anyone so self-absorbed. I mean, he _is_ a genius, no denying that, but it gets to his head."

Sakura shrugged. "He doesn't know me. I'll put him in his place."

Ino shook her head and downed a shot of vodka. "As much as I would love for you to do that, it's best that you stay away from Uchiha Sasuke. You'd kill him."

...

...

...

...

...

...

_you're not as distant as  
_

_the stars, mocking me with_

_false pretenses. I scoff—_

_ad astra per aspera._

_I kiss your hand and_

_in that moment, I_

_captured the stars._

...

...

...

...

...

...

"Here we go, come with me. There's a world out there that we should see," Ryan Tedder sang in his ears. "Take my hand, close your eyes. With you right here, I'm a rocketeer. Let's fly..."

"Far East Movement again, man?" Uzumaki Naruto peered over his shoulder to look at his laptop screen. "You're obsessed."

Sasuke scoffed. "I know good music when I hear it, unlike you."

"Justin Bieber is good!"

"Bieber's voice has only started to mature and the only good song he has so far is 'As Long as You Love Me.' Your argument is invalid."

Naruto opened and closed his mouth a few times before turning around in a huff. He suddenly relaxed when he caught sight of someone coming up the stairs and waved frantically to catch their attention.

"Sakura-chan! Ino-chan!"

The woman looked surprised to see him, her arms full of books and papers. Beside her, Ino frowned at the commotion Naruto caused.

"Naruto-kun, pipe down," Ino hissed. "We're in the library, for God's sake."

Sasuke observed the pair over his laptop. Sakura was, he noted with extreme interest, uncomfortable with the familiarity Naruto treated her with. She hung behind Ino, green eyes continuously roving over the second floor of the library searching for empty tables.

"Would you like to sit down here? There's plenty of room," Sasuke smoothly offered.

Ino shrugged and set her bookbag down. "It's not like there's anywhere else. Saki-chan and I have been on every floor and corner of the library."

Still hesitant, Sakura set her books down and took a seat across from Sasuke. She didn't meet his eyes for the next two hours.

...

...

...

...

...

...

the._tallest_|**tower**

He hated this game.

Whenever they exhausted every other drinking game, Truth or Dare came up. Only, with these loose-lipped cowards, the game became Truth and Even-More-Shocking-Truth.

Naruto called it a bonding activity. Sasuke deemed it an invasion of privacy.

But alcohol is a powerful substance and the tight-lipped Uchiha participated against his better judgement regularly.

It was either that, or make out intensely with Rock Lee.

"Ino-chan," prim and proper Hinata slurred. "Who do you wish you could be?"

The blonde girl laughed. "If I was sober, I'd say Senju Tsunade-sama."

"But you're drunk, so answer the question honestly."

"Exactly! I'm drunk and all of you are too far gone to ever remember this. I wish I could be Haruno Sakura-chan."

Naruto snickered. "Her? Why her? She's pretty cool but she's so in control of every thing, I'd never want to be her."

Ino pointed at him. "Exactly! Sakura-chan knows her worth. She knows no ordinary man could measure up to her standards. She'll never have a broken heart. She's never know what it's like to be unmade at the hands of someone else, spurred on by her own foolishness. She'll never sacrifice herself to someone's selfish whims."

"I want to be Sakura-chan because I'll never carry frivolous sins."

No one knew what to say after Ino's suprisingly deep insight.

"That's not true," Sasuke spoke up. "Haruno-san has secrets. She's human like every one else, makes mistakes like the rest of us. It's only a matter of time before they're out in the open."

Ino's eyes blazed with fury at the insinuations Sasuke made about her best friend. "Do you think you'll be the one to find them out, Uchiha?" She spat. "You think you'll be the one to _break her down?"_

Sasuke smirked.

"Do you want to bet on it?"

* * *

Author's note:

Dear Lord, this ending is atrocious. Ugh. Whatever. I'm working on a deadline here!

Ja ne!

Callista Miralni


	3. the siren's song

audeamus

Callista Miralni

disclaimer: nope.

* * *

Three_.

Sasuke didn't know she was Takanori Moegi's mentor until the Winter Banquet.

It explained a lot of things—why she was usually around, her closeness to the underclassmen, the reason why everyone accepted her presence so easily.

By a mere technicality, Haruno Sakura was _one of them_.

She looked stunning in the black chiffon dress draping like a bow over her breasts. Her curled hair spilled haphazardly from the messy bun at the back of her head.

His breath hitched in his throat when she turned around to greet her mentee.

_God, no one should wear something like that._

There was no panel behind the crisscrossing ribbons holding the dress together. One tug at the ribbon end at the small of her back and this siren would be his complete undoing.

_She drew him in._

...

...

...

...

...

...

_we weave false tales_

_of glory and honor._

_tell every one who would_

_listen to our_

_torrid schemes_

_for adventure and_

_reckless abandon._

...

...

...

...

...

...

Sakura was a firm believer in the notion that all men looked better when they dressed up.

A man in suit, Temari and she often giggled, was the best thing after chocolate.

She shivered when the cold air from the air conditioner hit the exposed skin of her back and pulled her shawl higher. Tonight, at this banquet, she knew men would be wearing anything between the casual polo to starched oxford shirts.

Sai, her chosen escort and the only one in her close circle of friends in the mentorship program aside from Ino, looked adorable in his button down oxford and heather gray suit vest. He looked as uncomfortable as she felt in the daring black chiffon dress Ino picked out for her.

Ino waved them over to her table at the front of the room. Setting down her purse and shawl, Sakura trailed behind Ino through the buffet line. Someone tapped her shoulder after she set her plate down and Sakura turned around only to be tackled into a hug by her happy-go-lucky mentee, Takanori Moegi.

Smiling, she returned the embrace and complimented Moegi's dress. Taking their seats at neighboring tables, Sakura was about to say something to the younger woman but the sound of someone clearing their throat from the stage at the front forced her to swallow her words.

Mentorship program coordinator, Aburame Shino, welcomed them to the banquet and introduced his co-coordinator, Uchiha Sasuke. She squirmed under Sasuke's heavy gaze, trying to remember to breathe because he happened to be one of those men who looked _good_ in a suit.

Sai looked adorable. Sasuke looked good—no, better than good. Sasuke in a suit was better than chocolate, her brain traitorously decided.

To her, _nothing_ was better than chocolate.

...

...

...

...

...

...

_you always know when _

_I lie. somehow, I can't _

_escape your gaze. It _

_haunts my waking moments,_

_reminds me of all the_

_things I never said._

...

...

...

...

...

...

He approached their table, smoothly taking a seat next to Ino. They were all drinking tea and eating dessert.

"Enjoying the party?" Sasuke asked, oh so out of character, but things like this required a degree of graciousness that would make his socialite mother proud.

"It's fantastic," Ino applauded. "I don't know how you and Aburame-kun do it."

The guest DJ started up his next mix with Ino's favorite song and she pulled Sai to the dance floor. Flitting in between the dancers on the floor, Naruto stopped at every table filled with people eating dessert and snapped a gratuitous amount of photos with the new DSLR camera he got for his last birthday.

Naruto slid to a stop across from them. "Sakura-chan! You look so pretty tonight! Can I take your picture?"

She flushed faintly and agreed. Naruto put his eye to the viewfinder before he put the camera down.

"Sasuke, get in the picture too! I shouldn't have to photograph a pretty girl by herself."

Sasuke smirked. How perfect. Naruto was definitely his best friend.

He stood up from his chair and offered a hand to Sakura to pull her to her feet. She accepted it gracefully before he pulled her to his side, keeping his arm wrapped firmly around her waist. Surprised, Sakura hesitated before slipping her own arm around him and smiling for Naruto's camera.

When Ino and Sai returned shortly after, Naruto took pictures of all four of them. Later that night, while sitting on Sasuke's bed with his laptop downloading the photos from his camera, Naruto couldn't help but notice how natural Sakura looked at Sasuke's side.

...

...

...

...

...

...

_still, I continue to_

_pursue things beyond_

_me. how else am I _

_supposed to reach_

_for the stars?_

_you offer no guidance,_

_no wisdom to_

_help me succeed._

...

...

...

...

...

...

Ino scrolled through the album from the banquet, liking a couple photos and commenting on others.

She couldn't believe how gorgeous every one looked that night. Some of these boys clean up pretty well, Ino mused, especially Sasuke-kun.

The next photo made her stop in her tracks, shrieking for Sai to look at her computer ASAP. Her childhood friend sauntered towards her, paintbrush in hand.

"Oh," was all he said.

The pair silently analyzed the picture.

"They look like a couple," Ino grumbled.

Sai gave her a sidewise glance. "Are you jealous?"

"HELL NO!"

She bit her lip before glancing at the screen again.

_Sasuke-kun... you look like you're planning something and I don't like that it involves Sakura-chan._

...

...

...

...

...

...

the._siren's_|song

Sakura took a seat across from him.

"Hey," she called his attention. "You wanted to see me?"

Sasuke shoved his papers to the side so he could devote his full attention—

(not that she would know she always commanded his attention with her mere presence)

—to the task at hand.

"I heard you're the Japanese ambassador to America's daughter."

Sakura stiffened.

"What of it?"

"I was just wondering why the Ambassador's daughter would go to a podunk school like KSU when she could attend any university in the city or in the States."

"I could ask the same thing as you," she retorted coolly. "After all, you're an American. I heard your brother attends some school in Tokyo, so why Konoha?"

He leaned back in his chair. "You have your reasons and I have mine, though I suspect they are much the same. No, I only wanted to confirm you're the Ambassador's daughter before I ask you what I really called you here for."

"Fire away."

"Can you sing Rhianna's 'Umbrella' for the campus variety show as the mentorship program's representative?"

She raised an eyebrow. "You assume I can sing."

"I heard you could from Yamanaka."

_I'm going to kill Ino._ Sakura ground her teeth together. _I bet she's the one who told Uchiha-san about me being the Ambassador's kid too._

"And you assume I speak English fluently."

At this, Sasuke smirked. "I know you can—we've been speaking in English since you sat down."

She froze, realizing he was right. Panic seized her, emergency plans running through her head a mile a minute.

"What do you want from me?"

Sasuke shook his head. "Nothing."

_I want you._

"Are you blackmailing me?"

"Don't be so paranoid," Sasuke said sharply. "Not everyone is after you for your money or your supposed worth to the Japanese government."

Sakura, indignant to what Sasuke was implying, scowled. "And if I say no to participating in the variety show?"

He shrugged. "I guess I'll ask Hinata."

Haruno Sakura was an opportunist, he realized. Having to keep a low profile her entire life forced her to become creative and guarded at the same time. She highlighted her naturally blond hair pink to keep people from asking too many questions, passing the color off as eccentric whim. She never invited people over to her student apartment, preferring to go to other's homes instead. She had a number of unmentioned talents, talents forced upon her by her parents' high positions. She hardly ever spoke of her life before Konoha; her only ties to her past were Sai and Ino.

Sasuke counted on her inability to resist showing off her talents without the pressure of her parents' expectations on her shoulders.

"You only want me to sing, right?" She frowned, turning the idea over in her head.

"And dance at the same time. It won't be hard. Yamanaka and some of the other girls already volunteered to be back up dancers."

She sat there, weighing the pros and cons to her involvement. Sasuke almost smiled—he could practically see the gears turning in her head.

"I suppose as a member of the student program, I really don't have any other choice, do I?"

He pulled his papers back to him.

"You always have a choice," Sasuke said softly, his gaze steady on her.

She sighed before murmuring farewell. Ten feet between them, Sasuke called her attention again.

"Haruno!"

Sakura paused before turning around.

Giving her a rare smile, Sasuke tossed her a flash drive which she caught with ease.

"Thank you."

* * *

Author's Note:

Gah. I should just quit while I'm ahead.

Ja ne!

Callista Miralni


	4. the wolf at the door

audeamus

Callista Miralni

disclaimer: always.

You know, I think this is the first multi-chaptered _Naruto_ fic I've ever finished. Sadness is my name.

* * *

Four_.

Her cell phone rang, receiving a text from an unknown number. Although, she deduced, the clear cut message contained only knowledge one Uchiha Sasuke would know and tried not to dwell on how perfectly creepy it was that he now had her cell phone number.

Sakura answered it in the same concise matter she usually used with Sai and left her phone on her bookcase beside her bed. Picking up her manga again, Sakura tried to drown herself in Alice's world but her cell phone would ring a minute after she would reply to Sasuke's message.

She tried not to seem too absorbed in their conversations but she couldn't help herself. This Uchiha Sasuke obviously missed home since all their texts were in English. Sakura knew he was one of the few students who possessed an iPhone on their rural area campus, a gift, she learned, from his parents for his twentieth birthday.

Sakura also had an iPhone but everyone expected her to have one since she was from the city originally. What they didn't know was that her phone was like Sasuke's—a pricey, factory unlocked device from the States.

_What do you usually do during the summers?_

She regarded the highly personal question with a bit of caution. Should she tell him? Only Ino and Sai knew about her summer routines; Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro didn't question why she never spent summer time with them.

Besides, what harm was there in being honest with Sasuke? In a way, it was refreshing to not have to guard her thoughts or words constantly. She had been with Ino and Sai for so long, there was almost no point in asking for their opinions about anything because she knew _exactly_ what they would say.

_Depends. I go home to Tokyo but I also travel with my parents to the States. We have a condo in San Francisco my mother sometimes stays at when she there for business._

After she hit send, Sakura briefly wondered if she made the right decision in giving so much of herself away to a near stranger.

_No, not a stranger. A friend. _

...

...

...

...

...

...

_do you relish_

_these awkward moments,_

_hidden glances at_

_the corner of your eye?_

_I know you watch_

_my every movement,_

_read every response_

_so as to act in turn._

...

...

...

...

...

...

Sasuke read her last text message with whatever emotion was closest to glee he would allow himself to feel.

San Francisco, huh? His hometown. He should have known—the Japanese Embassy was located there, New York, Chicago, and Washington D.C. Sakura's English didn't have the elongated a's common to the North nor did she have the Southern drawl one might find in D.C.

He started writing a reply, but stopped just short of finishing it. Was it really a good idea? His parents would start assuming things, Itachi would never let him hear the end of it, and the idea was so ludicrously intimate he knew Sakura would be able to read the message hidden in his words.

Unlike most people, Sakura was good at things like that, reading in between the lines and hearing all the things people wanted to say but couldn't.

Oh, to hell with it. He finished his text and sent it, flopping on his bed. Sasuke could imagine the shocked expression on her face, the way her green-gold eyes would widen in shock and her lips would part to breathe out a small giggle.

Call him obsessed, but the moments they spent in practice together for the variety show taught him a lot about the woman who commanded his every thought and action.

His phone rang and he seized it from its resting place on his desk. The breath he didn't know he was holding filled his lungs with relief.

_I'm up for it. I have a different number in the States... remind me to give it to you before summer starts. At least, I'll have something to do other than read books all day._

He could hear the sarcasm in her voice, see the way she would humorously roll her eyes at her last statement.

Usually, Sasuke dreaded returning home to the States for the summer. He wasn't of age to take advantage of San Francisco's diverse nightlife and was forced to sneak into bars and clubs using Itachi's old ID, the only kind thing his brother ever did for him since they started school in Japan. All the friends he had were the same ones from elementary school and they were a rowdy, party-going bunch.

He wondered how they would react to meeting Sakura. After all, she was the only one with the money to visit him and Sasuke knew they would be all over the pretty Japanese girl.

Groaning at the prospect, Sasuke gave her his US cell number.

...

...

...

...

...

...

_these mediated responses_

_bore me. how long will we_

_dance around each_

_other, too scared_

_to voice the thoughts_

_obviously on our minds?_

...

...

...

...

...

...

She felt like hitting her head repeatedly against the wall until common sense was knocked into her. Why did she say that? It was obvious what Sasuke meant by his direct statement: _you should kill time with me._ Why on earth did she agree to hang out with him?

Usually, Sakura relished her summers. It was a time away from the secrecy; being in the States cut her off from her friends at home except through facebook and twitter. She never had to worry about keeping her secret because the only people she saw during the summers was family, her parents' staff members, and the occasional dinner guest.

Summer was the time Sakura had all to herself. This summer, she resolved to teach herself violin and Italian. It was odd, because if she stayed in Japan, she was always expected to behave with utmost propriety and be the perfect daughter in front of the constant stream of visitors to the house.

Not in the States. There, Sakura stayed in the condo, hardly ever venturing out unless it was to buy something or go for her morning run in the park. In the States, she was just an ordinary girl on the streets, unless she was at a state function.

How on earth was Uchiha Sasuke going to fit in her cloistered summer routine?

Suddenly, her summer was a source of anxiety. What would happen in his company? Would her parents question her constantly, smother her with all the worry they never felt because she usually stayed at home?

Sakura refused to acknowledge the small part of herself that always eagerly anticipated the company of the gorgeous Uchiha Sasuke.

...

...

...

...

...

...

_you told me "audeamus"_

_yet you cannot take the plunge._

_I thought you were above_

_the plebian fear of_

_commitment and loyalty. This_

_disappointment hurts more_

_that it should._

...

...

...

...

...

...

He learned to initiate conversation with her.

They hardly ever spoke on the phone, despite her preference for it. Every time Sasuke saw her with her cell phone, she was usually chatting away on it. She enjoyed ignoring text messages, especially on the weekends.

Ino told him and Naruto there was only a select group of people Sakura always answered the phone for: herself, Sai, and her cousin Shizune.

After that revelation, Naruto sulked off to the kitchen to get a drink but Sasuke checked his cell phone. It was Saturday night and he spent the better part of the day texting the Haruno girl.

It was foolish to read into her somewhat prompt responses. Sasuke constantly asked her questions, told her stories, and prodded for advice. Perhaps Sakura deemed it ill-mannered to leave him with his curiosity unfulfilled.

Whatever her reasons, Sasuke felt comfortable with her. He didn't know what it was, but something about the quiet way she sat and listened prompted him to talk. He never worried if she was going to use the knowledge she gained in their lengthy conversations because it just wasn't in her character.

...

...

...

...

...

...

the._wolf_|at|the.**door**

Ino frowned at him before dragging him aside.

"Sasuke-kun, do you want a girlfriend?"

He scoffed. "What guy doesn't want a girlfriend, Yamanaka?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You know what I mean."

"_Yes._ Satisfied?"

"No. Do you want a serious relationship?"

He scowled. Serious relationships were a sore point with him. Every girl he dated in the past were only after him because of his international student status, his money, or his looks. As such, it made keeping a tolerable girlfriend longer than two weeks difficult.

He was a flirt because all the women he attracted were not even worth considering spending the rest of his life tied down to.

"I don't know if I can do a serious relationship, Yamanaka." He settled on a vaguely honest response. "Where are you going with this?"

Ino seemed to grasp something that even Sasuke didn't know from his answer but she was silent for a minute or two before she answered his own question.

"Do you like Sakura-chan? As her best friend, I can't help but notice how you hang onto her every word and how you constantly remain at her side. I know it can't just be that variety show at the end of the term that's making you be with her all the time."

Yamanaka Ino, for all her reputation as the campus's biggest source of gossip, was a good friend if she bothered questioning him about his feelings towards her best friend. For some reason, Sasuke knew she would keep this conversation between them a secret.

"I think I do," he answered slowly. "But I can't be the person she deserves."

Surprised, Ino looked at him and felt her heart go out to him. She knew from being Sakura's friend for so long that the girl was so easy to fall in love with for all her goodness but difficult to love because of her eccentricities. People held her up to a standard because she always seemed so _infallible_.

"Sakura-chan isn't the kind of girl who will settle for a sexual relationship. She knows her self-worth and refuses to let herself be insulted as a source of sexual fulfillment to be tossed away."

For some reason, Ino's words reminded him of their first conversation.

_I'm not your type_.

"She won't take anything less than a serious relationship so if you're unsure as to whether or not you can commit yourself entirely to her, I wouldn't even waste your time chasing after her."

Sasuke looked away. "I know that."

"Do you? I'll never forgive you if you break her heart."

He met Ino's calculating gaze.

"Trust me, Ino, I know."

* * *

Author's note:

You know, I swear this fic gets more and more vague the more I write it. Oh well.

Ja ne!

Callista Miralni


	5. breaking the spell

audeamus

Callista Miralni

disclaimer: always. quote from CLAMP.

And so, we reach the end.

* * *

Five_.

He stepped through the security gate before Itachi and allowed his mother to envelope him in another of her familiar and suffocating hugs.

"Sasuke!" Mikoto Uchiha smoothed her baby boy's unruly raven locks. "You look underfed, sweetheart. Have you been eating right?"

A wave of uncharacteristic panic hit him. Ever since his conversation with Ino the week before the variety show, Sasuke had been obsessing over it. Could he really become the man Haruno Sakura deserved?

Charm, his older brother once told him, was an Uchiha's greatest weapon. For all their intelligence, charisma was the sole reason people bent so easily to their wills.

Sasuke spent years observing the way Itachi charmed people with a few well-placed smiles, the smooth words rolling off his tongue, and the polite attitude he kept with every one.

The only place Sasuke seemed to be able to imitate Itachi's charm perfectly was the darkened night clubs he frequented in Konoha and San Francisco with his friends.

"It's stress from exams," Sasuke reassured his mother. "Don't worry about it."

Mikoto pursed her lips. "If you say so, sweetheart. By the way, your father wants you to meet someone tomorrow night so don't make dinner plans, okay? I know you're excited to see Karin and Suigetsu, but please hold off your plans."

Itachi gave him a look of pity and mouthed "I'm sorry" over their mother's head. Sasuke sighed.

How could he forget? The clock was ticking and his father wanted him married to a decent girl of his approval by the time he graduated.

"Alright, Mom."

...

...

...

...

...

...

_you're everything_

_I ever wanted but_

_I know you're out of_

_reach. before we met,_

_I used to believe_

_nothing was out of_

_reach for me._

...

...

...

...

...

...

Sakura was grateful for the oversized sunglasses shielding her sensitive eyes from the California sun. Her mother, Serena Haruno, the CEO of a big distribution company partnered with Apple, Inc., ushered her into the town car before beginning the obligatory onslaught of questions every mother poses to her child after a lengthy separation.

People often compared Sakura to her mother, saying how they looked so much alike. Personally, Sakura thought she looked more like her father, aside from the blond hair and green eyes.

Growing up, Sakura wished she could have spent more time with her mother but she understood from a very early age why her mother spent most of her time in San Francisco where her company was based. Sakura cherished every holiday and break because it meant time spent with her parents like every other normal family.

"Sakura, I know how much you hate guest dinners..."

If there was one thing Sakura loved her mother for more than anything in the world was her mutual dislike for Kenji Haruno's guest dinners. Serena preferred the social aspects and interesting attendees of company and state functions but hated the overly personal dinners her husband graced his most important contacts with.

Sakura groaned. "Who is it and when?"

"Tomorrow evening. Some person named Uchiha and his family."

At the mention of 'Uchiha,' Sakura stiffened.

"Do I have to be there?"

Serena gave her a dark look. "If I have to suffer, so do you. I promise I'll buy you a violin and pay for summer lessons if you sit through this one dinner."

At the mention of the violin, Sakura narrowed her eyes. "You drive a hard bargain, Mom, but I can't stop being suspicious. What is this dinner all about?"

Pausing, Serena debated on telling her the truth but realized it was better to be safe than sorry.

"It's a matchmaking dinner."

Sakura almost screamed.

...

...

...

...

...

...

_humble me with_

_rejection and soothe me_

_with inspiration. you_

_deserve nothing less_

_than the best in the world,_

_my beautiful siren._

...

...

...

...

...

...

Sasuke stepped out of his father's BMW and surveyed the building before him. The pricy condominium tower in Pacifica Heights told him this girl, whoever she was, met his father's expectations regarding social standing and wealth at least.

This is ridiculous. The Uchiha family was rooted in America now—what was the point of holding onto traditions concerning marriage and inheritance from their native Japan? The idea of "beneficial marriages" was laughable in modern America.

He mentally prepared himself for every situation. If she was a slut, then any thinly disguised indecent proposal she tossed his way might be worth considering for the night. He would excuse himself to the restroom and text Suigetsu and Karin to meet him at whatever club she decided on in case she proved to be too much for him to handle.

A voice, one that sounded eerily like the girl who haunted his thoughts constantly in Japan, sighed in the back of his mind and gently scolded Sasuke for being superficial.

If she was clingy, Sasuke would still take her out to the club and text Suigetsu and Karin but he would lose her in the crowd. Some other unfortunate soul would catch her attention and he'd be forgotten.

Haruno Sakura's voice chastised him for being rude.

If she was a prude, it would be easy to get rid of her. He'd invite her to hang out after dinner and she would turn him down. End of story.

If Sakura was here, she would giggle at him for being hopeful for the last situation.

They rode the elevator to the penthouse. The elevator opened up to a small lobby and his father rang the doorbell.

A woman with long, wavy blond hair and Sakura's green eyes opened the door and welcomed them inside. Sasuke shook his head—how could he miss one girl so much that he's seeing her eyes in complete strangers and hearing her voice in his head?

The owner of the condo heard them in the entry way and greeted them the moment they were shown into the living room. Sasuke knew he had seen him before somewhere, but he couldn't quite place the older man's face.

"Fugaku! So glad you and your family could join us!" The man spoke in a light Japanese-accented English. "This is my wife Serena. My daughter stepped out to grab something for me at the store."

Fugaku rumbled some standard reply before Mikoto elbowed him in the ribs.

"My wife, Mikoto," the Uchiha head put an arm around her. "And my two sons, Itachi and Sasuke."

Their host shook their hands and gave a slight bow. "My name is Kenji. Pleasure to meet both of you."

From the way his gaze lingered on Sasuke, it was obvious this daughter of his was intended for him. When he didn't say anything, Itachi said, "Thank you for inviting us. You have a lovely home."

The front door opened. "Mom! I got the capuccino cups you wanted. They were out of low sugar cranberry juice so I just got the regular stuff."

Sasuke couldn't believe his ears and forced himself to stay together as Sakura Haruno rounded the corner from the entry way to the living room."

The woman hadn't noticed the arrival of their guests, continuing to rattle off her shopping list and handing items to her mother before realizing they weren't alone. Her gaze slipped past Sasuke, not even acknowledging his presence.

"Oh," Sakura rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "I didn't realize it was already time for dinner. My apologies for running late."

Delighted by the girl, Mikoto beamed at her. "You're just on time sweetheart! We just arrived and were getting all those introductions out of the way. I'm Mikoto Uchiha and this is my husband Fugaku and my sons Itachi and Sasuke. Pleasure to make your acquaintance."

She gave them her infamous guarded smile. "Sakura. The pleasure is all mine. Can I interest you in a drink while my mother sets the table?"

Sasuke tried to catch her attention, but she continued to ignore him, playing the perfect host to his socialite mother, who wore a pleased smile the entire evening, imagining how perfect this woman was for her youngest son.

...

...

...

...

...

...

_this world is yours to_

_command, the silent_

_manipulation of my_

_heart to your_

_desires. take a bow_

_with me and smile_

_for the world. we_

_remain untouched_

_as the universe bows_

_at our feet_.

...

...

...

...

...

...

The food was delicious, Serena Haruno's French roots shining through each dish. As the dessert and coffee were served, conversation turned towards the children.

"So, Itachi just graduated from Tokyo University." Serena stirred her coffee. "Where do you go to school, Sasuke?"

Sakura was looking down at her plate, engrossed slicing her cake into perfectly sized squares.

"I go to Konoha State University."

Kenji looked surprised and gave his daughter a pointed glance she ignored. Serena, on the other hand, didn't appear too perturbed by the revelation.

"What are you studying, Sasuke? Konoha is a good school but it's a little rural."

He wished Sakura would just _look_ at him already.

"Mechanical engineering."

"Ah." The woman took a sip of her coffee. "That explains why you would choose KSU over Tokyo or some other city university. They're the best as far as engineering goes."

Sensing her son's discomfort, Mikoto asked the same question of Sakura. She swallowed her cake before silkily replying, "Chemical engineering at KSU."

"You're classmates?" Itachi said. "What a coincidence."

Sakura stabbed another perfect square of cake. "Don't you know, Itachi-san?" The woman said in Japanese. "There is no such thing as coincidence—only _hitsuzen_."

A chill ran up Sasuke's spine as her eyes met his for the first time that night.

"_Hitsuzen_, huh?"

...

...

...

...

...

...

breaking._the_|**spell**

Just as he thought, his mother not-so-slyly suggested that Sasuke take Sakura out to tour San Francisco at night since she never really explored the city before.

He expected Sakura to fit into his prude model but she surprised him by accepting his invitation.

Walking around Fishermen's Wharf boardwalk, Sakura said very little to him, passively taking in the scenery.

Sasuke tried not to look at her, still waging a war in his mind about serious relationships versus freedom.

He didn't know why it was so difficult to choose. With a serious girlfriend, all he'd have to do is pop the question and his inheritance was guaranteed. But Sasuke hated the restrictions and obligations that came with _having_ a serious girlfriend—he was his own person _thankyouverymuch_ and in no need of coddling.

Moreover, the one girl he constantly envisioned having a future with played hard-to-get as easy as breathing.

"Sakura, stop."

She halted in her tracks, green eyes luminous under the lamps.

"I really like you," Sasuke confessed.

The woman shrugged. "That's nice. I like you too."

Easy as breathing.

"I'm falling in love with you."

Her green eyes widened and she breathed out his name.

"Go out with me?"

Sakura opened her mouth to say something but she shut it and narrowed her eyes. "Does this have anything to do with your inheritance?"

He winced. That was a frequent topic of their text conversations—his impeding marriage to a convenient slut to further the family company.

"No."

"I see."

She continued to walk but he stopped her.

"Sakura Haruno, will you be my girlfriend?" Sasuke asked again, trying a different angle.

Smirking, she twisted her wrist out of his hold. "No."

He didn't know why, since the past year had been filled with nothing but her rejection of his flirtatious attention, but this time it _hurt._

"Why not?"

She drew in a sharp breath. "Ino warned me about you," Sakura finally responded. "You have a reputation—the infamous American player of KSU. You break more hearts than you realize with your careless attention."

Suddenly, the last three years seemed like a giant mistake instead of the thrill ride he initially viewed it as.

"I mean, look at you." Sakura gestured from head to toe. "You're gorgeous, charismatic, and intelligent. Women can't help but be drawn to you."

"Even you?"

She gave him a sardonic smile. "Especially me. You're the kind of boy who ignores good girls like me. You're entirely too much for me and you will break my heart at the end of it all."

The absolute conviction in her voice forced Sasuke to view things through her eye.

"Who says I'll break your heart?" He whispered. "Who says this has to end?"

"We wouldn't last," she responded with an overwhelming amount of confidence. "I can't give you the things you're used to receiving from girls. I _won't_ give into you."

"It's not all about sex."

"But you didn't deny that it would be."

"Sakura," he said with exasperation. "What are you really trying to say?"

She pursed her lips. "We're not right for each other."

"_You _decided that. I think we're perfect for each other."

"You only say that because you want your inheritance."

Their argument was going nowhere. Sasuke stepped forward and grabbed her by the shoulders, stealing a kiss.

"Audeamus."

The Latin word whispered on her lips made Sakura pause. She took a step back, confused, desperate for some breathing room from the man who literally stole her breath away a moment before.

She knew exactly what Sasuke was trying to say. Dare to begin something new. Dare to attempt the impossible, the improbable, the unthinkable. Dare to change—hopefully for the better.

Dare to dream of a future with Uchiha Sasuke.

"Okay."


End file.
